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Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week you will have undoubtedly been subject to the barrage of smears coming from the right wing media that Corbyn or should I say “Agent COB” was an asset of the Stb. That he was affiliated with a Labour group called Labour Action for Peace, which had Stasi assets in its ranks, and then by this association Corbyn is somehow also mixed up in all this.

At face value these smears are dangerous because they are a new level of lies within our political sphere, the kind of journalism you would expect from newspapers like The S*N are now dominating the news cycle for days. With these non-stories being supported by politicians, bringing a new level of legitimacy to the clearly desperate clutching at straw attacks. Though these attacks are far more dangerous than the obvious threat of the media seeking to use their vast power and reach to subvert and undermine our democracy.

For the implications of the message are clear: Corbyn was a traitor to the UK, and was working or at least aiding foreign powers during the Soviet era. This alone is ridiculous but this isn’t the first time the Corbyn is a traitor line has been banded about, the same attack was laced behind the IRA allegations, and the whole Hamas smears. The repetition of the message couldn’t be more clear, repeat after me: Corbyn cannot be trusted, he is a traitor.

Why is this such a dangerous message? Cast your mind back to the carefree days of 2016, when we were in the throes of the referendum, a Labour MP was murdered by far right extremist Thomas Mair as he shouted “Britain First!” That man when he was in the dock decided shout his name as “Death to traitors! Freedom for Britain!”

Now bring your mind to 2017 when far right extremist Darren Osborne carried out Finsbury Park Mosque attack. His original targets were Corbyn and Khan, on attacking Corbyn said it would have been “one less terrorist on our streets” and if they got Khan at the same time it would have been like “winning the lottery.”

The media know this, the politicians in the Tory Party which are spreading this smear know this. Williamson who I quote called Corbyn a ‘traitor’ knows this, Wallace who compared Corbyn to Soviet era spy Philby knows this and Bradley who declared on twitter (later deleted) that Corbyn was selling state secrets to communist knows this. They all know that an MP was murdered because far right extremists in this country believed she was a traitor, they know that a far right terrorist wanted to kill Corbyn for being a traitor.

So with this information in mind what they are doing takes on an extremely sinister political tone.
Why then do these right wing media sources and right wing politicians think is sensible to spread this smear, to use this angle of attack on Corbyn – who as they want the general public to believe, is a traitor to this country.

If this line of attack continues and I believe it will – where is the endgame to all this? We have already seen twice where this dangerous rhetoric can take us. So god forbid something does happen to Corbyn, how culpable are these forces? Bar from being the assassin, they all but paved the way for the event to take place.

If one thing recent history has shown us it is that words have consequences – how many people are going to have to die before our media and politicians take responsibility for theirs.

One day campaigns and calls for Theresa May to sling it are great at galvanizing support, but if the next election isn’t within the next six months, we run the risk of running out of steam.

Words have power that is clear, but words and actions working in unison will lay the foundation for the kind of change we need to see in our society. Which is why it is unsustainable in the long run to keep up momentum indefinitely.

Why? Because if there are no results, people will grow bored, people drop out, and slowly but surely the momentum slows to a crawl before going in to reverse. We have momentum on our side, at the moment, and no doubt the Tories will be trying to delay until the winds change in their favour.

So what can we do to help sustain activity, to keep our momentum up?

We need to adopt a more community minded, grassroots approach to our campaigning – non traditional forms of campaigning which seek to build up networks within communities, and effect real change within them.

It’s great marching to end homelessness, or against the harsh reality of the cuts, those kind of public displays of peoples anger, and dissatisfaction with the system are integral but you hardly ever see immediate results.

Contrast a march against homelessness with a Labour led drive to support the homeless within their communities, to alleviate the harsh realities of the cuts. When you see that a homeless man is going to get a roof over his head, or isn’t going to go hungry that night, you see a direct return on your political capital.

When you are bringing your politics to life through your work in your community and help stop a family getting evicted, or put food on a single mothers table, so neither her or her child go hungry that night – you see results. Politics in action effecting change on a community level, which feeds back into a national narrative.

Not only this but it is through these networks of resistance that we can sustain momentum, we see small successes, thus keeping people engaged politically. While at the same time engaging with the people that a) need our help the most and b) we need to have a political voice c) providing the apparatus/network for future political work

We need to be radical, we need to be innovative. Combine the social, community and the political, and provide cross community solutions – you have a presence, you are fighting back at the system, and you’re carrying out practical politics.

History is littered with examples of it being successful, and it is a political necessity in this country already. People on the bread line can’t wait to the next election, a disabled person house bound due to cuts, cannot wait to the next election. The people who are suffering most cannot afford to wait, and we shouldn’t leave them behind.

While momentum is on our side, while we have the Tories on the run, it is the perfect opportunity to expand our political activity and get out into our communities supporting those in need, with our actions and deeds.

They cheered and whooped with delight as they denied a better standard of living to the overworked nurses, to the stressed out police officers and brave firefighters. Remember these words: “I would like to thank the brave men and women of our emergency services,” clearly that thanks from Theresa May didn’t extend to providing them with a decent wage, or a properly funded working environment.

If public sector workers wanted to be real useful, because obviously saving lives and keeping society operating isn’t useful enough, they really want to get into a situation where they can keep the Tories in power. As we know, no price is too big when it comes to helping them cling on to power.

What effect will that decision, and the way they delighted in it have on morale in the NHS, or the fire crews who tackled Grenfell? How can any of those Tory ministers turn up at the next tragedy, while falling over themselves to praise the work of our emergency and public services? Repeatedly this government has been strong on words but short on deeds, and we simply cannot take it any more.

Our public services have had a seven year onslaught, the workers in them are at breaking point and while the MPs give themselves a juicy little pay rise to their already generous salaries, we have nurses surviving on food banks.

Shame on you Theresa May, shame on you and shame on the Tories. It’s a national disgrace the way the Conservatives have treated our public sector workers. We as citizens cannot allow this to continue, when the next election comes and who knows that could be this year, we have to vote them out! Enough is enough.